Changes
by Fluffymausi-chan
Summary: Nothing stays the same and I can't believe that your changing is what bothers me the most. (Post Punk Hazard)


_Hello guys. I noticed that was barely nothing about Smoker and Tashigi. Although I can see that some people don't like that couple and prefer pairing Smoker up with Hina, I think that there have to be other fans of Smoker/Tashigi out there! ;)  
_

_This story takes place after Punk Hazard. Tashigi and Smoker are returning together to the Navy Headquater. _

_Disclaimer: The characters belong to the great master Oda._

_I hope you enjoy it and that the characters are not too OOC._

_- your FMC_

* * *

**Changes**

He would have never guessed that there would be _changes_. Sure he knew that some things would not stay the same like the sea. It was never the same. Even the wind, which blew over the deck of their huge marine ship, was altering. Sometimes it was warm which put the crew in a good mood or it was raging with icy hands, tugging at their sails. _Changes_ were frightening.

But after being in the Navy for several years, there was only one thing that made him notice _changes_. Or rather someone. He would never voice those thoughts aloud but they were not vanishing. Nothing made them go away. Nothing made them _change_.

Taking a deep drag of his typical two cigars between his lips, he gazed at the sea. Over his head fluttered their flag with the world government emblem on it and below on the sails was the huge G-5 title of his crew. They were misfits and other people, who would have found no place in the navy but under him. Would he have taken them in his crew 2 years ago? Had he _changed_?

Thinking about his crew, he gazed at the door that lead underdeck. They were all having a party under his feet. He could hear them singing and laughing from where he stood but felt no need to participate. He had received a bottle of sake from his men and had made himself comfortable leaning on the railing and enjoying one of the first moments of peaceful quietness in a long time. Surprisingly the ruckus his crew was making was not angering him or destroying the calm. The laughter sounded so free and he knew that even when they were all laughing, there was also grief audible in their voices as they were all thinking about their dead comrades. They had _changed_.

He took a gulp of the burning alcohol while turning his gaze back at the sea. The wind had changed and it was getting chilly, but he wasn't bothered by it. Smoke was engulfing him and he closed his eyes with a sigh. What a crazy journey. Who would have guessed that in the end he had to work with the Strawhat and Law to protect his men from Caesar? Was he _changing_?

"Smoker-san? Wouldn't it be better to go underdeck with your wounds?"

He didn't bother turning around as he had sensed her coming up behind him. At first he remained quiet, but after a while he opened his mouth. She would not go away until he answered her. How come she had _changed_ like this?

"I have my own party here."

He swung his bottle to show her, while still not facing her. She heaved a sigh and he knew that his words were far from those she wanted to hear. Which brought him to the question: What did she want from him?

She was now standing next to him, fidgeting with her hands but keeping quiet. There was something bothering her and he knew for sure that she would not spit it out until he asked her to say it. Quiet bothersome… But instead of breaking the silence he took another gulp from the bottle and enjoyed the burning sensation down his throat. It was heating his body from the inside and right now it was the best cure in the world, except there was … No, there was no other cure.

He took another drag from his two cigars and finally turned his head slightly to look at her from the corner of his eyes. Her whole body was tense and her eyes were darting nervously between her hands, the railing and the seawater. Well, at least she was not crying. She had _changed_ somehow.

He heaved a sigh, a clear sign that he was ready to talk and a little annoyed.

"Out with it Tashigi."

She seemed surprised by his words, as she had been lost in thoughts when he had broken the quietness. Looking up to meet his eyes he noticed that she had left her glasses in her cabin or elsewhere. Her face showed clearly how uncomfortable she felt but there was no way he would let her go after finally starting that conversation. Perhaps that was what she had intended?

"I am sorry!"

She had bowed down in front of him, making her long black hair fall over her face. He was surprised by her sudden action. Why was she apologizing? But he got no time to voice his questions as she was speaking again.

"I am sorry for going against your orders while we were in that cage on Punk Hazard. I am sorry for begging Trafalgar Law to help us. And I am sorry for not being there when you were injured by Doflamingo. I am deeply sorry!"

He could hear her voice quivering and knew that the first tears were not too far away. Turning his head away from his right hand captain, he took another drag and slug from the dark bottle. Leave it to Tashigi to worry about those things. Sure he had been irritated at her for begging Law to help them and also for attacking that man even though she had known how strong he was. But after thinking it through, he came to the conclusion that she had taken the right path. She had not been clouded by prejudice and put the wellbeing of their men over her pride. Wasn't this the reason why you want to join the Navy? To protect people?

She was still bowing next to him, waiting for whatever would come her way. Either a fist of smoke or some angry words. She was prepared for everything, but that.

A hand was placed on her shoulder and she suddenly felt awfully tense. Looking up at the man at whose side she had been for a long time now, she felt her cheeks heating up. There had never been much contact between them and although she sometimes longed for a more talkative and humorous person, she would never _change_ this.

He didn't say anything but she saw it.

That proud flicker in his eyes.

All of a sudden her heart felt heavy from all the happiness and relief and she couldn't help but smile brightly because of his gesture. This was what made her glad she joined the Navy. Straightening her back she beamed at him, who again gazed at the sea, ignoring the tugging at his scarred heart. Her smile was always something that made him feel strange. He was not stupid; he knew fairly well what it meant.

He ignored those thoughts, blaming the alcohol for them when he handed her the bottle. She was blinking confused by this action and cocked her head to the side.

"Drink."

It sounded like a command but she knew him better by now. There was a friendly offer behind those gruff words. She took the bottle with a nod and took a small gulp, coughing while handing it back to him. An amused smirk was on his lips while looking at her coughing form. She was never good with alcohol. There was no _change_ or was there?

While taking another gulp of sake he couldn't help looking at her. His eyes wandered over her body and finally reached her face that was by now glowing red. She shifted nervously under his intense gaze. He was behaving strangely. Perhaps it was the alcohol? But he couldn't take his eyes of her. The wind was tugging at her long black hair and the smoke from his cigars was engulfing them by now. There was just them. No one else.

"Smoker-san…?"

She whispered his name with her small voice that sounded beyond nervous and … expecting? It made his fingers twitch and his scarred heart going in overdrive. Did she have any idea what she was doing to him? His body was acting on its own, backing her up against the railing, while still holding her gaze. There were no emotions visible on his face that would make her understand what he was thinking at the moment. She was completely at his mercy. What had _changed_?

A gloved hand held her chin and she could just gape at the man who was towering over her. Strangely enough she felt not scared. She was obviously beyond nervous but was not frightened by his strange behaviour. He didn't say anything. He was just looking at her, holding her chin so she couldn't avoid his eyes and it seemed as if he was waiting for something. She didn't know what it was but after examining his face for a little while, she did the only thing she could think of.

She smiled.

It was the trigger.

His name was on her lips but couldn't leave her mouth as it was sealed with a passionate kiss.

Everything was _changing _around him. Nothing staid the same. But not everything was bound to _change_. He knew that there were some things that would not _change_. He just knew.

* * *

_I love the interactions between those two. Tashigi really matured during the timeskip and I liked the scene in the cage where she opposed Smoker because he didn't want a pirate to help them. __They will never be a pairing but well, one is free to dream ;)_  
_I hope you liked it!_

_- your FMC_


End file.
